A Hindu family in Barasat has for more than 50 years owned a mosque and nurtured it with love.

Amanati Masjid stands on a four-cottah plot in Nabapally in Barasat, around 25km north of Calcutta. In the past 15 months, it has had a facelift of sorts. A new arched gate with two miniature minarets has come up. The boundary wall has been raised and strengthened. The walls inside have got a fresh coat of plaster and paint.

The expenses have been borne by Partha Sarathi Basu and his father Dipak Kumar Basu.

Amanati Masjid, in Barasat, after the renovation.

The Basus have watched Prime Minister Narendra Modi claim at election rallies that the Congress, if elected to power, would distribute Hindus’ property among Muslims.

“I have seen my father spending his money for Muslims since my childhood. Irrespective of the government in power,” Partha, 49, told this newspaper in jest.

The next moment, he was not joking.

“The masjid is a part of my family’s identity. It is a part of who I am. I am also a practising Hindu from the Gautam gotra (gotras are lineage segments tracing their origins to seven ancient seers). But I don’t see any conflict between the two. My religion teaches love and compassion,” the third-generation custodian said.

Partha’s grandfather shifted to Barasat’s Nabapally in the aftermath of the 1964 riots in Bangladesh. He swapped his family land in Bangladesh’s Khulna with that of a Muslim family in Barasat. The Basu family found a “barren” mosque standing in the middle of the land. The property documents had no mention of the structure.

Maulana Akhtar Ali (left), the imam of Amanati Masjid, with Partha Sarathi Basu

Many Hindu neighbours had suggested that the Basus raze the mosque. But the family did not. Instead, they renovated the mosque and nurtured it with love. The area where the mosque stands falls in Ward 8 of Barasat Municipality. It is a predominantly Hindu-majority area. But Muslims from nearby areas visit the mosque every Friday for namaz.

In reality, Amanati Masjid is a shrine to Bengal’s inclusive and syncretic culture.

“The mosque is also revered by Hindu families in the neighbourhood. Women turn up to light candles and incense sticks at the base of a tree inside the compound in the evening. Students halt at the shrine before an exam irrespective of their religion,” said Maulana Akhtar Ali, the imam of the mosque.

A stop at the mosque is a must for a new bride stepping into the Basu family. After a death, the body is brought to the mosque on its way to a crematorium.

Basu senior, 73 now, would open the doors of the mosque every day in the morning and mop the floors himself even until four years ago.

He owns a kerosene dealership. The dip in the use of kerosene has led to dwindling returns for dealers. Basu senior is no exception.

His son, Partha, owns another plot near the mosque, where he runs a parking
lot. He occasionally deals in properties as well.

The Basu family home stands right opposite the mosque. Partha’s uncles still live there. Partha and his father have shifted to an apartment in Barasat’s Dak Bungalow More.

In the drawing room of the apartment, Dipak Basu is glued to news channels every day. He does not approve of the cocktail of religion and politics.

“See what happened during the Ram temple inauguration. Ram has always been inside us. But this pomp and grandeur and the active participation of the government was not desirable. Neither is asking for votes in the name of Ram correct,” said the septuagenarian.

Amanati Masjid is named after Shah Amanat, an 18th-century ascetic in Chittagong, worshipped by Hindus and Muslims alike, including Partha’s family.

When Dipak Basu saw the mosque for the first time, he had just stepped into his teens.

“It was almost in ruins — surrounded by thick shrubs and snake skins here and there,” he remembered.

Many neighbours asked the Basus to tear it down. But Dipak Basu’s mother, who was a staunch believer in Shah Amanat, lit a candle in the mosque compound one day. “She felt an instant connection with the place,” he said.

Dipak Basu has built the roof of the mosque and cemented the floors.

The total cost of the recent renovation was around Rs 80,000. The senior Basu has also paid a share of that. He recently received an award for his role in preserving communal amity. The award came with a cash prize of Rs 35,000. He gave the entire amount for the renovation. His son gave the rest.

“I desperately wanted the new gate and the boundary wall to be erected before Eid.
I am thankful to god that I could manage to do it,” said Partha.

Partha is subjected to taunts — online and offline — for his “love for Muslims”.

He is called “Mohammed Partha Sarathi”.

“But I have many more well-wishers than haters,” he said.

Two boards with the name of the mosque stuck to its walls also have the three words written on them — “Prabhuke pranam koro (Pray to the Lord)”.

“Prabhu is usually used in a church and pranam is a Hindu tradition. The first imam of the mosque, Abubakkar Siddiqui, had suggested the phrase because he wanted this place to be a refuge for all,” said Partha.

Barasat votes on June 1